Essential reading

Clive Barker begins where H.P. Lovecraft leaves off. Weaving thick imagery with complex mythologies and histories, Barker immerses the reader in a tapestry of horror, always suggesting rather than telling. Sometimes challenging, the "Books of Blood" comprise some of Barker's best early work. This set of short stories explores the hidden realm of human evil and supernatural curses. Unlike Stephen King, whose horror comes from everyday events, Barker exposes mystic cults and strange psychological phenomena to thrill the reader.

But you must be patient and thorough to understand the work. Even as an English degree-holding person, I sometimes have to analyze the threads within Clive's work. He truly is the Shakespeare of Horror.